The Next Words Out of Your Mouth
by mashymre
Summary: It's a lot like a family reunion, if family reunions typically involved bisexual vampires bent on world domination.
1. The Hermit

"Will be Time, stop! The World!"

DIO paused, his mouth still open. He had indeed been about to freeze time. It was not a surprising conclusion for Joseph Joestar to make; DIO had after all just demonstrated his powers to cut off his enemy's escape. But the confident smirk that lingered on Joseph's face even after being hit with an indirect attack from The World troubled him.

Jonathan's grandson was a troublesome opponent. With only a few companions, he had made a journey spanning nearly two months, crossed the ocean and several countries, faced numerous hardships and other Stand users and come out on top every time. Any man capable of that was not to be taken lightly. Furthermore, he was well-known for his ability to predict his opponents' moves before they made them and formulate plans in a matter of seconds. Was it possible that he had come up with countermeasures for even a Stand such as The World?

As it turned out, the answer was no. Joseph was bluffing out his ass. He knew there was no way he could face a Stand like The World headon. Even if the Hamon kept it from touching him directly, it could still do more than enough damage through indirect attacks, as it had just proved. Even though he had dodged the worst of the blow, the rubble it had smashed at him had probably broken two, no three, of his ribs. Any moment now DIO would take the initiative once again and finish him off.

But before that, Joseph had one last trick to play. In the few precious moments that DIO had been distracted, he'd discreetly used Hermit Purple to wrench a steel flagpole from the side of the building they stood on. It was by no means an ideal weapon, but thrown with enough force and infused with Hamon, it could at least deal some damage.

A sneer returned to DIO's face. "You're trying to trick me, aren't you, Joseph Joestar? You think I will hesitate before a pitiful Stand like-"

Joseph didn't wait for him to finish before he flung the ripple-infused flagpole straight at the damn vampire's wretched head. DIO barely even acknowledged the effort, cocking his head to the side and grinning as the makeshift spear soared harmlessly past his cheek. It hit the roof with a clang.

His grin evaporated when the flagpole bounced back and impaled him through the gut.

Joseph laughed and declared, "You haven't even seen half of what I can do with Hamon! Watch carefully now, DIO! You're about to witness my ultimate technique!"

DIO's face contorted into a feral snarl. It felt like molten lead was coursing through his body. The ripple ate eagerly into his flesh, spreading further with each passing second. He had underestimated Joseph Joestar, a mistake he would not make again. Whatever this technique of his was, DIO was not about to let him perform it. Gathering his energy, he prepared to stop time once more-

-only to see Joseph turn on his heels and take a running jump off of the roof and into the street below, much to the bewilderment of passerby. He hit the ground running, dodging and weaving through the crowded street with surprising agility for a man his age.

Wrapping his hand around the bloodied flagpole, DIO tore it out of his stomach with a grunt, his eyes still tracking Joseph's movements through the street. It would not do to lose sight of him now and allow him to contact Jotaro or Polnareff, the last surviving members of his group. But wait... up ahead of Joseph, was that... ?

_Jotaro Kujo. _A predatory grin spread across DIO's face. _You won't even have time to warn him. The World!_

The most powerful of Stands shimmered for a moment, the moonlight reflecting off of its body like water. It reached out a well-muscled arm and prodded the slowly widening hole in his gut. A sensation not unlike that of bathing in ice water radiated through his body from the point of contact, and the vampire repressed a shudder. The agonizing pain of the ripple vanished, followed quickly by the wound it had left behind. Even the threads of his shirt intertwined back together, covering up the now unblemished skin.

DIO ran a hand along his abdomen and chuckled. _You underestimated me as well, Joseph Joestar_. He strode forward confidently and swan dived from the rooftop, freezing time before he even hit the ground.

Around him, scenes of everyday life were captured as if in a photograph. A cat was caught mid-yowl, its body still airborne. Dining couples held silverware to their mouths, unmoving. Several men were turned to watch Joseph make his getaway, specks of saliva still floating in the air from their jeering. An ugly woman was in the middle of lighting a cigar, the flame glowing warmly in the night. Up ahead, just within his range, Joseph was only a few meters from reaching his grandson. There was a lot of fun to be had here.

Casually dismembering the cat, he tossed pieces of its corpse into the various overpriced dishes the lovebirds were enjoying, elbowing a waiter into the path of an oncoming automobile as he did. The smoking woman had her cigar replaced with a fork in her eye. The jeering men in his way were variously dismembered or crippled in increasingly enjoyable fashions. His personal favorite among these was the man he gave a wedgie with his own intestines. Finally, seizing a nearby waitress, he ripped open her throat with ease and guzzled the sweet blood within.

Carelessly dropping her on the ground, he smacked his lips with a sigh. It was time to finish this. He advanced unhurriedly, counting off the last two seconds of the time freeze as he pressurized the waitress' bodily fluids behind his eyeballs. When his count reached zero, his irises split apart and he fired.

"Jonathan's grandson, Joseph... dies here!"

Time resumed. Screams filled the air. Blood spattered against his back. The waiter's mangled body was thrown over his head as the car crashed into a lamppost beside him. But DIO continued forward, heedless of the carnage he'd caused. He only had eyes for one thing: The collapsing body of Joseph Joestar, slain by the very attack that had killed his grandfather.

Jotaro broke into a run, dashing forward to catch Joseph before he hit the ground. DIO wasn't close enough to hear their entire conversation over the screams behind him, but he heard enough.

"DIO... Stand... time... run... Jotaro..."

Jotaro shook his head, looking over Joseph's shoulder and meeting DIO's gaze unflinchingly. DIO smiled and gave a little wave. The expression on the boy's face never changed, but DIO could feel the hatred from his gaze intensify tenfold. The sensation was almost pleasurable enough to make him cackle like that decrepit hag Enya.

Joseph reached up and grasped his grandson's shoulder. Something seemed to transfer between the older to the younger, like an electric current. "... final gift... Hamon... take... run... find another way. You cannot defeat DIO!"

By this time, DIO had come close enough for his sensitive ears to pick up every word, and the tone of conversation pleased him greatly. He watched patiently as Jotaro clasped his grandfather's hand to his breast, gently placing his body on the cold cement. The old man was not breathing.

"Jotaro! You are next!" DIO said gleefully, stabbing his index finger at the boy.

Jotaro stood, his face set with a cold fury. "D-"

"Damn you, DIO!" the vampire said in a mocking voice. "Those were going to be the next words out of your mouth, weren't they?"

Jotaro didn't laugh. Evidently he had inherited Jonathan's sense of humor.

"Kakyoin is dead. Polnareff... he went into hiding, maybe? It doesn't matter. You're next, Jotaro."

"You bastard. DIO..." Jotaro clenched his fists and stepped over his grandfather's body.

"Oh? You're walking towards me?" DIO said, smiling wide enough to show off his mouthful of fangs. "Why aren't you running away? Why don't you listen to your grandfather, who gave his life to tell you the secret of my Stand?"

Jotaro walked closer, his face a stiff and expressionless mask. "I can't beat you if I don't get close to you," was all he said.

DIO laughed warmly. "Then come closer, Jotaro."

This was going to be fun.


	2. The Star

"ORA!"

The second he was within range, Jotaro brought out his Stand. Star Platinum swung its mighty fist faster than his eyes could follow, aiming straight for the smug, grinning head sewn onto his ancestor's body. But its blow never landed. All Jotaro caught was a blur of motion, a glimmer of gold, and then there was a sudden stab of pain in his leg. Star Platinum faltered, knocked off balance by a well-timed blow from The World. Jotaro stumbled, blood staining the expensive fabric of his pants.

DIO smirked. "Too slow, much too slow. The World is the strongest of all Stands. Even without stopping time, its speed and strength completely outclass Star Platinum."

Jotaro was barely listening. He hadn't been able to keep up with The World's movements, but he knew it hadn't been there before his own Stand struck. DIO had called it at the same time Star Platinum appeared, which meant that his range was probably about two meters, as well.

_They're the same type of Stand. Fast and precise, but can't move too far. The difference is, speed, strength and skill are all Star Platinum's got. Odds are, I won't get more than one shot. The ripple power Grandpa gave me... if I can just get a solid hit with it..._

DIO was speaking again. "That was just a test to see how powerful your Stand was." He snorted a bit. "Clearly it wasn't even worth the effort."

Jotaro examined his leg nonchalantly. "That was a test? This little scratch? All you found out there was how to ruin a $200 pair of pants. Asshole."

The smile faded from DIO's bloodstained lips. "You Joestars really don't know when to quit, do you? Fine. I'll bite on your little taunt. Show me the extent of your power before you die, Jotaro Kujo!"

A flash of gold appeared again, but Jotaro was ready this time. Star Platinum lashed out with a kick that almost certainly broke the sound barrier but it was still too slow, much too slow. The World was already leaping overhead, bringing its fists down with a primal roar.

"MUDAMUDAMUDA!"

Star Platinum flipped and met the onslaught with one of its own, bellowing out "ORAORAORA!"

"MUDAMUDAMUDA!"

"ORAORAORAORA!"

Over and over the two clashed, moving so quickly that they were visible only as blurs and distortions in the air, neither one able to land a crippling blow. Star Platinum drew first blood, one punch out of the hundreds it threw just managing to graze The World's cheek. The damage was duplicated on its master, a thin stream of red oozing down the side of DIO's face. He stretched out an impossibly long tongue and licked it.

"Not bad," he admitted. "But don't celebrate just yet. I'll show you whose Stand is faster!"

"MUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDA!" his Stand roared in acknowledgment, raining blow after blow down on Star Platinum.

"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!" Star Platinum howled, blocking fist with fist countless times and holding off The World's relentless barrage with a thunderstorm of punches. But it wasn't enough. As it thrust out its fist to block one of the countless blows, The World's punch veered above its own, smashing into the side of its face and sending it flying. Jotaro growled at the immediate stab of pain but remained standing, wiping the blood off his face with his sleeve.

DIO laughed. "Do you see now? My Stand is superior in every way. And with that out of the way, playtime is over. Prepare to die, Jotaro."

Jotaro grimaced. "You bastard-"

The vampire continued as if he hadn't heard. "Because of the curse that links our families together, there's no way I can avoid killing you. This, too, is destiny. This final attack will be with The World's true power!" Spreading his arms wide, he shouted, "Time, Stop! The World!"

"ORAORAORA-"

Star Platinum's supersonic punch stopped before it ever reached its target. Not even the mighty Jotaro Kujo could overcome the time stop. DIO couldn't suppress a sneer at the sight of his most feared enemy, completely helpless and immobile. Almost casually, he strolled toward the young man who had given him so much trouble, now nothing more than a frozen sack of meat.

"With this, the Joestar bloodline will finally come to an end. To the nemesis that appeared after my century-long slumber... goodbye."

His hand was raised for the killing blow when he saw it. Just a twitch, nothing more. But it was enough to make DIO stop moving completely, like just another meatsack under the power of The World. Jotaro's fingers had moved. It was impossible. There was no way he should be able to move when time was stopped. But there was no mistaking it. Impossible as it was, he _had_ moved. The only question was how.

_ Is he using a new ability? Has his Stand awoken to some hidden power? Could it be that Star Platinum is the same type of Stand as The World? _Dio's mind was awash with possibilities and none of them were pleasant. His eyes scanned the boy's body, wary of even the slightest sign of further movement. Was it just his imagination, or were Jotaro's eyes still watching him?

There was only one way to find out. Gathering the waitress' bodily fluids behind his eyes, he pressurized them again, aiming directly for Jotaro's head. The World's power only lasted five seconds, and DIO had already used three. If he was going to strike it had to be now.

"If you can move, then dodge this!" he snarled, leaping backwards and firing twice, the second attack launched from a different angle just as time resumed its normal course.

"-ORAORAORAORAORAORA!" Star Platinum cried, swinging its fists into the empty space DIO had just vacated. Whether by instinct, prior knowledge, or pure luck, one of its blows caught the pressurized fluids and easily reduced the first attack to nothing but so much vapor. The second, however, shot over its shoulder and it was only with an impressively quick duck that Jotaro escaped having his brains turned into Swiss cheese. His hat wasn't as fortunate. Wisps of smoke curled up lazily from the two neat little holes that had been bored through the fabric. The look of unbridled fury that flashed briefly across the young man's face as he realized what had become of his precious headwear was enough to make DIO cackle.

"If only you could see the look on your face, Joestar! That alone makes letting you live this long worthwhile!" the vampire chuckled, clapping a hand to his forehead and shaking with mirth. Jotaro remained silent, eyeing him contemptuously. If this was some attempt to bait him, he wasn't going to fall for it.

DIO's laughter continued for a full minute before ceasing as abruptly as it began. For a moment, the two of them stared each other down, DIO's scarlet eyes glaring through the cracks in his fingers. Then, lazily, he plucked a small, metallic ring from his wrist cuff and tossed it in the air, catching it with the same hand as it fell. Jotaro flinched almost imperceptibly at the sight, a movement that was not lost on DIO. When he finally spoke again, his voice was lighthearted, almost jovial, but behind it there was an edge of malice that cut the air like a knife.

"I salute you, Jotaro. I didn't even notice that magnet you stuck on my arm until just now. Was it when we were trading blows? Not bad, not bad. You couldn't have pulled a trick like that off without being both brave and collected. With this, whenever I drew close, your body would move, even when time is stopped. Simple, but ingenious. I made a mistake in taking you lightly." He tossed the magnet up and down, savoring each and every word.

"But a trick like this changes nothing. You've only extended your life by a few seconds-that's all. By the time this magnet hits the ground, you'll be dead."

The magnet had barely left his hand before Jotaro was gone. A whirlwind of green and black surrounded him for the briefest of instants, and then there was nothing but a few drops of blood to show that he'd ever been there at all. No human eyes could possibly have followed his flight through the air, hurled with the full strength of Star Platinum. Even DIO, a creature that had long since rejected his humanity, could only perceive it as a flicker of motion. But that flicker was enough.

"Time, stop. The World!"

Time froze once more, the river of movement and babbling voices around him coming to a silent and utter halt. In the midst of the stillness, DIO's lips curved into a truly unpleasant smile. Then he too was gone, flung skyward with incredible force by the awesome power of The World. Buildings and faces flashed by in the blink of an eye as he tore through the air like a bisexual rocket. The World flew at his side, tethered to him as always by the invisible bond that connected a User and their Stand. Its massive golden fist drew back for the killing blow as they closed in on the helpless Jotaro. At long last, it was time to end the hundred year curse of the Joestar bloodline. Faster than light, The World launched its attack.

"Goodbye, J-"

Too late, DIO noticed the movement of Jotaro's arm. Too late, he saw the soft glow of Hamon surrounding the young man's body. Before he could finish his farewell, Star Platinum's fist burst through The World's chest, impaling it on an arm that seethed with ripple energy and stopping both Stand and User in their tracks. DIO bit back a scream of rage as the massive wound was replicated on his own body.

"Damn you... Jotaro!"

Jotaro made no reply. Star Platinum was as still as death itself, holding its foe aloft as Hamon burned through The World's flesh.

_Only... only for a moment, but... you really can move in my world, you miserable bastard! That magnet... you tricked me!_

The flow of time came once more, and with it the full impact of Star Platinum's blow, driving into both Stand and User like a thunderbolt. Between the sheer force of the attack and the Hamon ripping his Stand apart molecule by molecule, there was barely a scrap left of DIO's body by the time it hit the ground.

Jotaro fell in a much less impressive fashion. Launched backwards by the force of the impact, his body was still almost completely motionless as it dropped two stories and crashed through an umbrella, a table, and what had been a romantic dinner between a loving couple. As he lay there in the wreckage of $40 spaghetti, the only sign that he was still alive was his ragged panting. His muscles screamed in protest at even the act of breathing. His entire body ached with the strain of moving during the time stop. A throbbing pain in his chest informed him that he'd probably broken at least a couple of ribs.

With a titanic effort, he opened his eyes once again, ignoring the couple whose evening he had destroyed. Gazing across the street at the rival restaurant where DIO's body had landed, he smiled wryly.

"Goodbye, Jotaro. Weren't those going to be the next words out of your mouth?"


End file.
